Taken to the Labyrinth
by Aerolysia
Summary: Bellatrix rules a magical realm, Hermione is a simple human who has caught her attentions. Which one has the true power over the Labyrinth, will Hermione give in to the Insane Queen? Sort of a cross between Harry Potter and Labyrinth. Not many Labyrinth elements though. Also Bellatrix kidnaps Hermione. Always a favorite plot, for me at least.
1. Chapter 1

_Tap. Tap. Tap…..Tap,tap,tap._

Bellatrix Black stared down at the crystal ball in her had as she rapped her knuckles against the glass of her balcony door. She twirled the orb dangerously between the fingers of her hand as she gazed transfixed into it. She had been doing the same thing for hours. Her subjects had long stopped asking her if she was okay, or if there was anything they could do for her. They learned quickly if they pestered her too much while she watched whatever was going on through the crystal that they were likely to be drop kicked off the castle battlements.

It didn't kill them, but it was right embarrassing to be flying through the air into the nearest field or marsh. And then they were forced to make the long trek back to the castle so they could get back to their duties….no it was easier to just let their psychotic Queen be. Even though her distraction was leading to the crumbling of their precious home, their entire realm. Sadly the godlike woman didn't seem to care anymore.

It wasn't a rare occurrence for a large chunk of a wall to come tumbling down onto an innocent passerby's head. And bless them but they hadn't had guests for ages. Possibly even a millennium. Time moved far different in the Labyrinth, far different than it did in any other realm. After all it was Bellatrix who controlled the time. If she wanted it to be day for five hundred years it would be so, her subjects would not age, feel tired or even need to eat until she decided time should restart.

Lately she hadn't seemed to care what she could do. A few of her people had considered she was loosing her mind, many more protested she wasn't ever right to begin with and some even went so far as to believe she was lovesick. After all why else would she constantly gaze into the mortal world and forget about everything else around her, even her duties, such as they were.

"Uh….M…m-istress?" Something squeaked around her ankles. She growled and the tiny hairless being cowered behind her leg in fear. Probably not the best place to be considering she had taken to kicking the elves off the tallest balconies. It did have the presence of mind to hold it's long pointy ears closer to it's head so she couldn't grab onto them and carry it out, she didn't generally like to pick them up by any other body part. She wasn't exactly a nice Queen after all but she gave them what they expected, they had just never figured out quiet what that meant.

"What?" She growled, already fed up with the stuttering and fear. If the little creature wasn't going to tell her what it wanted it should make itself scarce quick like before her dwindling patience ran out.

"M…mistress Narci...ssa is here. She w-wants to see you." He made a high pitched noise as she tossed the crystal at the stone floor. It shattered into thousands of pieces around his rough little shoes.

Bellatrix paid him no mind except to push his little form aside with a hand to the back of his head. She marched straight to her throne room where she new her blonde sister was likely to be perched on the only chair available, her throne.

It wasn't that she disliked her baby sister, they were just so far apart in age. Thousands upon thousands of years apart to be technical. Bellatrix had already been raised and ruling the Labyrinth long before Narcissa had ever been conceived. Still, just because she didn't hate the younger woman didn't mean she wanted her sitting her pert little ass on _her_ throne. Bellatrix had to keep the image the people portrayed of her after all.

She brushed past a few more of her little subjects, more like the elves and even a few of the mortals that had been trapped one way or another in her realm. They all cowered in fear of her. Despite her negligence that at least was as it should be.

She shoved past the elves that were trying their hardest to open the heavy throne doors for her. She shoved the doors open easily with a gentle shoved and strode into the room with a glared etched on her face, her jet black eyes shooting her annoyance at the lighter woman and her raven curly locks bouncing crazily in her half up style.

"What exactly do I owe this visit, dear _sister?"_ She made the last word sound like an insult in and of itself and the blonde perched happily on her throne glowered at the tone.

"Can't a woman come and visit her sister?"

Bellatrix scoffed, she didn't want to play Narcissa's games and she was in a foul mood at having her evening interrupted. "Get your scrawny ass off my chair and get to the point."

Bella's magic took care of getting her sister off her throne, whether the woman had any intention to or not. Everyone knew what Bellatrix said in her realm went, although only the dark goddess herself knew the limitations her powers actually held.

Narcissa jumped to her feet and glared at her sibling as she calmly made her way to her throne and took a seat, a satisfied smirk on her lips. She crossed her leg over one knee and folded her hands together, her back was rigid, her posture perfect. She looked the epitome of grace and royalty. Only the slight manic tint in her obsidian eyes gave away the barely restrained madness within. "Well the point?" She waved a pale hand carelessly towards Narcissa.

"I came to warn you," Bella's dark eyes instantly narrowed. She was well aware her family had left her the kingdom to be rid of her. They would not come to warn her of anything. Unless there was something in it for them of course.

"Choose your words carefully, Cissy, lest you forget you are powerless here." It was true. So long as Bellatrix remained the rightful ruler of the Labyrinth no others could challenge her. At least not here, she supposed they could in any other realm, she could potentially loose the right to rule. But it had been so long since she had last ventured out, she had minions and servants for any errand that involved leaving her Kingdom.

"I only wish to warn you. You should know I have no interest in your domain." She did know. There wasn't many people that did want it. It was why she was given it. Most considered it too chaotic to be worth the effort. She didn't mind. "People are starting to notice your distractions. Mother and Father have spies, Bella. And they are not happy with how you have chosen to spend your time. They say the Labyrinth is falling apart, that perhaps they should step in to force you back on the right path."

Bellatrix scoffed, she let none of her true anger show, her sister didn't expect anger but she wasn't going to get the gratitude she thought she should be given either, honestly both of them knew Bellatrix would never be grateful for any kind of intrusion into her private affairs. Even in disguise as a helpful bit of information.

"They can do nothing to me here, nor can they interfere in my rule. I could let this place fade to nothing if I wished, only to rebuild it entirely people and all." It wasn't just a boast, they both knew she was serious. No other being had such control over their worlds.

"I never said they were going to come after you, _sister._ "

Bellatrix seethed at the knowing look in those blue eyes. She leaned forward on her throne and rested her elbows on her knees. "I will kill even our parents if they touch what is mine." Narcissa shivered at the certain tone, no doubt it would be difficult but Bellatrix never spoke a threat she hadn't carried out.

"Then I suggest you do something quick." She turned and headed toward the doors but stopped to glance back at her older sibling. "Perhaps you could send me home, I do so hate riding in that carriage back to the border." With a distracted swish of her wrist Narcissa was gone.

Normally she would have enjoyed forcing her to take the slow moving carriage back, no being could magically enter her world without her permission unless by foot. She did so love to torture the spoiled asses and it was just an added show of her complete control.

She didn't have time for pettiness it seemed. Not if Narcissa's words were true.

"Dobby!" With a loud crack a little elf stood in front of her. Nervously pulling on the tail of his long dirty tunic.

"Mistress called?" She would never admit it but he was one of her favorites. Mainly because he didn't stutter even when she had him so terrified he nearly wet himself. If only they didn't expect her to be so frightening.

"Fetch the girl." She told him simply.

His eyes widened impossibly. It was breaking one of her own rules. Humans, mortals in general, had to wish themselves away. He couldn't just go and fetch her. Those were Bellatrix's own rules.

He started to say so but she cut him off, tossed him a book. "She's unhappy. Make her miserable. I don't care if she doesn't truly believe just get her to say those words. Bring her to me as quickly as you can Dobby. Her life may depend on it."

Dobby bowed low and backed away from her throne. He kept his gaze on the book she had tossed him. A small red worn thing with golden writing. Not many elves could read…he could. He knew the title said Labyrinth. He knew the girl his mistress spoke of, knew getting her to read such a powerful book would be easy, getting her to make a careless wish was going to be the hard part.

 **A/N; Oh no I'm writing another one. Oh well. I combined my favorite couple with my favorite movie. I've always wanted to do a Labyrinth. I'm not gonna do this as a cross over because I won't be following the plot of the movie at all just borrowing the setting. If you think I should change that let me know. Hope it's worth continuing.**


	2. Chapter 2

Days! The girl has read the book days ago, had read it many times since in fact, it seemed to have become her favorite. But she had yet to say the words. He had even scribbled them, as neatly as he could, on the front and back inside cover, hoping perhaps she would read them aloud but it was to no avail. She just wouldn't say the words aloud, and he could catch a glimpse of his mistress every once in a while, her reflection in a glass or a mirror, and she didn't look pleased. She was not known to be a patient Queen. He had to come up with something soon or else it could be his freedom on the line, perhaps even his life.

"Sissy!" The door flung open, startling him and the girl reading peacefully on the bed. "Mommy says I can stay with you. She said you had to play with me!"

Hermione groaned at the little blonde child. She had wanted to study not tend to her little sister. It seemed lately her mother had been going out an awful lot with her step father and leaving her to tend to the four year old. It wasn't fair.

"Noble I don't have time to play with you I have a test on Monday. I need to study." She held up the chemistry book for the child to see and placed her scattered notes on her beside table as neatly as she could to keep them from falling in the floor as the toddler scrambled over.

"Book!" Noble climbed up on the bed beside Hermione despite the older girl's protesting. "Read me a story." Came the demand as soon as she settled her little body back against all the pillows.

"Noble I really can-"

"Well if it isn't my two best girls." Hermione barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her step father's much exaggerated charm. She had been alternately living with them for five years now, spending every other holiday with one parent and alternating between her mother and father every six months, convenient that they lived in the same city. They still shared a practice actually, she had no idea how that worked for them and since their divorce seven years ago she hadn't bothered to care.

The relationship she had with her parents was strained at best, she resented them for splitting up their family. Her mother remarrying and having another child didn't help at all, and her father's nonchalant attitude about it irked the hell out of her. But then again so did his increasing negligence. The six months she spent with him was like living on her own, she rarely even saw him.

"Me and your mom are headed out, you'll watch Noble for us won't you?"

She blew out a sharp breath. He smiled at her and waved as he headed back toward the living room. Completely assured she wouldn't say no so he didn't bother waiting for her to reply. They never really gave her a choice, never really cared about her plans so why bother and see if she said no.

"Story, Sissy!"

Hermione groaned and put her chemistry work aside. There was no point in arguing anymore. Noble wouldn't be going away any time soon and she would only get more irate the longer she was denied what she wanted. She was a well and true spoiled brat.

"What do you want to hear?"

Noble glanced around with her finger on her chin thoughtfully. Hermione tried not to be too impatient as the toddler made up her mind.

Brown eyes caught sight of the slim red book on her bed side table. It had pretty loops in the handwriting and it was small like her picture books and not like the books her sister usually read.

"That one!"

Dobby leaned forward hopefully. The words he needed her to say were not the words in the story. But if perchance she read the inscription he had written….he could go back home successful. Even if she somehow wished the toddler away at least then he would have leverage, or his Queen would.

"That's not a kid's book, Noble. It doesn't have any pictures." She picked it up and flipped through the pages to show her. Noble crossed her hands over her chest and sulked.

"Don't care. Wanna hear it."

Hermione relented opening the book and beginning the story. Personally she loved it. She didn't mind reading it to Noble if she could actually be still long enough to listen to it.

She loved that it felt real, that despite the love portrayed inside it's pages the story didn't have a happy ending. And that despite being the villain in the story Hermione didn't think the Queen was all that bad. She didn't kill them, and she didn't send one back to the world and keep the other as she had said she would. She separated them, kept them in some kind of stasis but left them with hope, that maybe one day they would have a chance to be together again.

She got to the point where the man wished the woman away in a fit of anger when Noble lost interest in the lack of pictures. "This is stupid." She complained irritably, knocking the book from Hermione's hands and onto the table. The water that had been sitting there from the night before tipped over and spilled what was left of it's contents on her notes she had left carelessly sitting there.

"No…no damn it, Noble!"

The little girl stuck her finger in her mouth as she watched Hermione scramble to clean up the water and salvage whatever she could of her notes. They were her chemistry notes, her worst subject to boot and it looked like the water had made half of it illegible.

"Damn it Noble why do you always have to mess everything up? Your so selfish and irritating!" Hermione shot her a glare, the look on her sisters face made her feel guilty but the sopping wet papers in her hand kept her from apologizing.

"Your so mean I hate you!" Noble launched herself off Hermione's bed. She furiously wiped at her eyes and shot her best glare at her sister. "I wish the goblin Queen would take me away so I never had to see you again!"

They weren't exactly the words from the book, but they were close. It wasn't exactly what Dobby had hoped for but it would do in a pinch. Giving Hermione Granger the chance to run the Labyrinth and escape with her sister would be a pain in the ass for his Queen, but he was beginning to think it was the only way he would get the girl to their kingdom. He had to take what he could get.

"Wish granted!" He burst from the shadows, making both girls jump and squeal. He wrapped a long thing arm around Noble's waist, very aware the girl was slightly taller than he was, he held his fingers out and snapped before either could react. With a loud crack he was gone, leaving a terrified, flabbergasted Hermione standing stunned beside her bed.

"N-Noble?" She stared at the spot her sister had been. Surely she hadn't seen what she thought she had. No tiny little…creature had shot across her room and snatched her sister away right? That had just been her imagination. She was dreaming….Noble was in her bedroom safe and sound right.

She dropped the papers and ran, barefoot, down the hall to her room. She threw open the door and grimaced when she bumped against the bedside table in her rush. "Noble!?"

Her breath left her lungs in a harsh exhale. There was no one in the room, no child in the bed, no laughter coming from some odd corner that signaled an impromptu hide and seek. "You won't find her here, a wish is a wish."

Hermione spun around toward the voice and her eyes landed on a dark haired woman, beautiful but clearly dangerous. She was biting her lip and twirling a dark curl around her finger as she leaned carelessly against a wall. She seemed distracted, and not pleasantly so.

"W-who are you?"

The woman focused her attention on her and smiled wickedly. "Why, love, I'm the Goblin Queen of course. And your little sister just wished herself away to me."

"G-Goblin Queen…." Hermione stared at her in shock. "No! That's just a story, it's not possible."

Bellatrix smiled wider as she gazed at the shocked expression on the humans face. "Its not just a story, little human. And a wish has power if I chose to grant it. Your sister called my name, invoked it, she intrigued me. I plan to make her a goblin."

Hermione jerked. "No! You can't. She's so little she didn't mean to wish herself away. Please you have to give her back, she must be so scared." Tears threatened to spill from her coffee colored eyes. Her sister annoyed her, messed with her stuff and was constantly demanding her attention but she didn't want her gone. She loved her.

The Queen pushed herself from her idle lean and advanced on Hermione with enough purpose to have the girl stepping back a few steps. "Don't presume to tell me what I can do, _human_." She hissed the word as if it were an insult and Hermione trembled under her terrifying gaze. Bellatrix advanced until she had her back against the veranda doors, only then did she stop, barely a breath away as she played the child stealing villain Hermione expected her to be.

"Please, there has to be a way." She forced herself to hold those dark eyes with her own. "Take me instead. Let her go and take me." She saw the spark of interest flitter in the woman's eyes and was acutely aware of the bitter disappointment that followed it.

"Its not allowed." The Queen sighed regrettably. She studied her for a moment and then smirked wickedly. "Perhaps you could wish yourself away too."

Hermione blanched, her back hit the doors behind her and she swallowed back her fear. "No….our mother, her father…. They'll be worried. They won't know what's happened or where we have gone." She searched the dark eyes in front of her. "Please there has to be another way. I'll do anything, it's all my fault." She tore her gaze away and covered her face with her hands on a sob. It was all she could do not to collapsed to her knees.

Bellatrix pulled away, her eyes roamed over the girl sadly. "If you won't join her you may run my Labyrinth and win her. But I warn you, it has never been beaten and many have yet tried."

Hermione glanced up, hope burning behind the tears in her eyes. "Like in the book?" The Queen nodded, though she seemed more uncertain than Hermione would have though a villainous Queen should be. "I'll do it. Anything to bring Noble back home."

Bellatrix's gaze darkened. It was the rules. Hermione hadn't wished the child away but some form of guardian must be allowed to run the Labyrinth for the child. It was the way of things, it was her own laws and she wouldn't break them for anyone, not even herself. To do so would bring her world crashing down around her.

She reached out, ignoring the flinch as she rested her hands on the girl's shoulders. Gently she turned Hermione around until she was facing the doors, with a quick wave of her hand they flew open, revealing the dusty landscape of her kingdom. "This is the Labyrinth. You have limited time to solve it and nothing is as it seems inside." Hermione glanced back at the woman and was vaguely panicked to see her room was gone. The hands left her shoulders and she turned her back fully on the maze before her to stare back at her adversary. "You have thirteen hours, no more, to solve my Labyrinth." Hermione watched her move the hands on a clock, a tall beautifully ornate one she hadn't noticed until the Queen stretched out her hand to it. She set it onto one and jerked her head in the direction of the outer wall. "Time will start when you enter, and I will be waiting for you in my castle at the center."

Bellatrix made her way next to Hermione again and leaned down to whisper into her ear. "Perhaps if you don't make it I will keep you as well and add you to my collection." She flashed her sharp canines at Hermione's sharp intake of breath before laughing heartily. Slowly she faded into nothing, leaving the teenager alone at the top of the hill with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She had to solve the Labyrinth. For Noble's sake…..and her own.

 **A/N; I'm liking this story. Maybe not my favorite chapter but I'm enjoying the concept.**


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione ran her hands along the cool stone outer wall of the Labyrinth. It wasn't wet like she had thought, it was covered in a vague glittery dust, why she had no idea. It wasn't petty, if anything it added a level of creepiness and gloom the dark, dusty landscape didn't really need. And it didn't come off on her hand like normal glitter, instead it was rather uncharacteristically sticky.

She wouldn't have wanted to touch it under normal circumstances but she hadn't found any kind of door to get in and running her hand along the walls seemed like the best course of action. She remembered in the book there had been subtle openings in the walls hidden from prying eyes. And she knew thirteen hours would pass quickly so she had no time to waste, as it were all the time in the world wouldn't do her any good though if she couldn't even get into the Labyrinth.

"I hate this place." She groaned as she stopped to wipe the sticky feeling on her palm off on her pants.

"Feeling is mutual," a voice told her from her left. She started and glanced around until her gaze fell down to an ugly little creature that only came up to her knees.

"Oh! Who are you?" She was rather pleased she was finally seeing something, even if it was the small, rough looking creature currently glaring up at her.

She swore she heard the ugly thing mutter 'filthy humans' as it pulled it's long ears down and scrunched it's eyes up irritably. "Kreacher has been sent to show _mistress_ the way into the Labyrinth." He spat the words out, making her acutely aware he was not fond of the task he had been given.

She gazed at him for a moment in silent expectation but when he made no intent to get a move on she bent down to get eye level with him. He hissed and swatted at her. She stood back up and took a quick step back, returning his glare. "Well?" She asked shortly. She really had no time to deal with irate little elves, or goblins or whatever the hideous little thing was and her patience was already running out with his attitude.

"Well what?" Kreacher drawled out.

"Are you going to show me how to get in or not?" Hermione asked in annoyance.

"Yes…." Still he made no move. She made an annoyed noise and reached down to tug at one of his long floppy ears.

"Well where is it?" He bit at her fingers making her draw back.

"What?"

"The entrance!?" She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself and rubbed at her fingers.

"To what?" He grinned impishly up at her. He knew he had to show her the way in, his Queen had been quite clear, but she didn't say he had to be quick about it. The Labyrinth was full of riddles, if he dallied by making his task into one he knew he wasn't likely to incur her wrath.

"How do I get into the Labyrinth?" He sighed in exasperation. Of course she had to get to the point in a hurry and ruin his fun.

"The right question." He huffed before pointing toward the wall she had only recently had her hand on. Only now there was a large heavy metal door. Hermione's mouth dropped in shock before she grumbled about the unfairness of it all. How was she supposed to have gotten in at all if the door was somehow magical? She wasn't really being given a chance to run the Labyrinth at all, she was sure she had already wasted at least half an hour of her precious time.

Kreacher chuckled happily at her annoyance as he jingled his keys importantly and headed toward the door. He _had_ taken his sweet time in getting her to notice him, he _had_ intentionally wasted some of her time. He knew the Queen didn't want her to succeed. She never wanted any of them to, but strangely enough it didn't mean she wanted them to fail either. The damn fae was a conundrum. He did know that if he didn't do his job in a seemingly timely manner he would be thrown from the castle tower as punishment. Over the years he had discovered half an hour was about the longest he could go without facing her wrath.

Hermione watched as patient as she could as the little goblin-elf like creature finally found the right key to unlock the door. He shot her a grimace as the doors swung wide and moved reluctantly aside for her to enter.

She eyes the keys on his waist curiously. "Are there more doors in there I cant open without your keys?"

He puffed his chest out importantly. "My keys open all the doors to the Labyrinth. I'm the key master." Hermione made a grab for them but he was too quick. "Not for filthy human hands!" He swatted at her again and brandished the large one he had used to open the door like a sword. She sighed.

"How can I get around without being able to open doors?"

"Not my problem!" He glared at her before lowering his 'weapon' and huffing at her ignorance. "Is a Labyrinth. Many ways through, not all have locked doors. Now got, before-" He trailed off. "Better get moving before time runs out." He cackled happily as he moved around her on the outside of the wall. "Door might close soon too. I only have to open it once."

True to his word the door started sliding forward the second he walked off. Without sparing him another glance the brunette rushed through the doors, jumping as they slammed shut behind her.

She took a moment to glance around. She needed to stop expecting things to be how they had been in the book. In the book there was long seemingly endless hall right after the gate. It ran from the right to left for as far as the eyes could see. But there had been no goblin creature to open the gate for the runner in the book and there was no long hall for her to run now.

Instead it was little cobble stone paths. And they forked in five directions. There were walls ahead and one path barely had enough space for her to get on it before it turned sharply to the left.

Hermione shuffled back and forth, glancing around the corner of one of the paths before she decided to choose. One of the paths looked well used and another looked a little over grown. She decided she would chose one of the two, the over grown looked as if it stretched on forever but the well used one had a turn to the right a few steps ahead. She wondered what exactly had walked the path enough to make it's stones look so worn and if she wanted to meet it in the maze of the Labyrinth. But if she chose the other she would be forced to battle with fallen limbs and vines for what seemed like miles.

She signed and gave the other paths one last quick glance. She reached down and grabbed a large sturdy stick from the ground before heading down the easier path. "If I'm going to be eaten I should at least like to defend myself."

The path had many turns, she chose to stay on the part of it that was well traveled rather than branch off. Part of her wondered if it was some trick, knew she should change her direction, but another part was just grateful she hadn't ran into a dead end yet and wanted to keep making progress. Even though she would hazard a guess she was making one huge circle.

She glanced down at her watch and grimaced. The hands were spinning, there was no way for her to tell how much time she had left. She groaned and hit the wall with the stick. It snapped.

"Damn." She tossed the stick behind her and kept walking, it wouldn't do her any good now, granted if it had snapped that easily it wouldn't have been any kind of protection to begin with.

"Ish not bery nice to trow tings."

Hermione spun around and nearly fell backwards as she jumped back with a little scream. She hadn't registered she hadn't heard the stick hit the ground but she could not miss the huge feline like creature in front of her with the pieces in it's mouth, long sharp teeth jutting around them.

"You- You're a-"

"A Sphynx." It's human head dropped the sticks to the ground and easily vaulted over Hermione. She spun around wearily and backed up. She contemplated reaching back for the stick but she seriously doubted it would do her any good now.

The Sphynx yawned and stretched out it's wings before folding them up and laying down, resting it's head on it's paws and staring at her curiously.

"A human? It's been such a long time since I last saw a human." Cat like eyes blinked prettily at Hermione.

"I…I've come to run the Labyrinth, for my sister."

"Oh….." It smiled wide, showing the girl all it's teeth happily. Hermione gulped and took another step back. "You chose my path….doesn't happen very often. It's obvious that it's a trap after all. Easiest path….." it seemed to contemplate something for a moment before sighed and standing up to it's full height.

"I don't really have a choice you know, I don't even like the taste of humans, you're just too….stringy. And you're hardly a mouthful at all if we're are being honest. Don't you know how to eat?" It's eyes sized up Hermione as it licked it's lips.

"You can't eat me!" She wanted to run, honestly there was nothing Hermione wanted to do more than run, but something told her not to. Some little voice in her head reminded her of myths from some book she had read once upon a time. "Don't you have riddles or something to let me pass?"

The cat like being stopped. Blinked. "You think you can answer my riddle?" It smiled again. "Most mortals who walk this path are too stupid to ask let alone _answer_ my riddle."

"I….I want to try, I'm not just going to let you eat me."

The Sphynx fidgeted excitedly, shifting from side to side giddily as it sat back on it's haunches and thought for a moment.

"Very well, answer my riddle correctly and you may ask me one. We will go back and forth like this until one of us gets it wrong. Then we may eat the loser."

Hermione grimaced. "If I win I don't really want to eat you."

The Sphynx huffed in annoyance. "There must be a reward, tis the way of things."

"Could you fly me to the castle?"

It made a disgusted head shake. "Not going anywhere near those ridiculous goblins."

Hermione sighed, she wondered what it ate if not goblins but she didn't try and think on it too much, she honestly wasn't sure she wanted to know what else the Labyrinth held. If she ran into a Minotaur she was sure she would be screwed. "Can you at least take me closer to it?"

"I…will take you to the end of my hunting grounds. No farther."

Hermione peered around her suspiciously. "I'm not nearly out already am I?"

"I assure you it is a fair reward, if you can even best me." The creature told her testily. "I will start." Hermione nodded needlessly.

" _ **I have many tongues yet cannot tastse by me most things are turned to waste**_

 _ **I crack and snap, yet I stay whole**_

 _ **I may take the largest toll**_

 _ **I assisted all of the first men**_

 _ **And I will pay them back again**_

 _ **Around me people snuggle and sleep**_

 _ **Yet run when I am released from my keep**_

 _ **I run around, and leap and bound**_

 _ **The cold man wishes I he had found.**_

Hermione blew out an easy breath. "Fire."

The female like head leaned toward her with interest lighting it's strange eyes. For a moment she feared she had gotten it wrong. But it was so easy she knew there was no way. Hermione was smart, she may have chosen the _wrong_ path, but if a battle of wits she knew she at least had a fighting chance.

"Hmmm. Perhaps you are not as simple minded as others who have walked my stones. You may proceed with your riddle."

She did her best to think of one the creature couldn't answer. Honestly she didn't know too many, she was tempted to do a Bilbo question but the sly creature in front of her was not as gullible as Gollum. She doubted it would let her ask a question instead of a true riddle.

" _ **Two bodies have I,**_

 _ **Though both joined as one**_

 _ **The more still I stand**_

 _ **The quicker I run."**_

She crossed her fingers.

"Hourglass." The creature said lazily. "My turn."

 _ **I begin eternity,**_

 _ **End space**_

 _ **I am at the end of time and in every place**_

 _ **Last in life, second in death**_

 _ **Found in your breath**_

 _ **Contained in Earth, water or flame,**_

 _ **My grandeur so awesome**_

 _ **Wind dare not tame**_

 _ **I am not in your mind**_

 _ **I am in your dreams**_

 _ **Vacant to Kings, but held within Queens"**_

Hermione's mind stumbled. She could remember every word but the answer seemed to elude her. She closed her eyes so as not to see the calculating stare in the cat's and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she carefully thought about the words. It didn't help that she knew if she guessed wrong she wouldn't have another chance to try again. And she had no idea how long she could stand there thinking, never mind all the time she was wasting playing the game.

"Last in life second in death…..Queens….." It hit her like a breath of fresh air. So simple yet it had _almost_ escaped her. "E….the letter E." She breathed out a relieved sigh as the cat grinned but did not lunge.

"Your turn, my lovely." It purred.

Hermione tried to think up a more modern one, something a Sphynx living in some made up fairy tale place wouldn't know.

She scuffed her shoes on the ground and thought back to the book. There was no Sphynx in it to ask riddles of the runner but….she remembered a passage clear as day. If she was lucky perhaps the creature had never left the Labyrinth and wouldn't get the hints in her next riddle.

" _ **I have rivers, yet no water**_

 _ **Forests without trees**_

 _ **Mountains but no rocks**_

 _ **Towns without houses**_

 _ **Oceans without the breeze."**_

She cringed at the simplicity of it and watched the being carefully. It seemed confident at first. Opened it's mouth right away to speak, but then stopped. Thought, it's forehead crinkled as it did.

"The Queen's crystals?" It hazard.

"No." Hermione said in genuine surprise. "A map…you've never seen one?"

"No." The Sphynx huffed. "But I know what they are." It added quickly, less she think it dimwitted.

Hermione had read that the Labyrinth couldn't be mapped. It's walls moved as easily as the wind blew so there would have been no point. The runner in her story had tried to draw himself a map but backtracking had proven the paths were not where they had been when he first walked them. She had only hazarded a guess that the Labyrinth's creatures wouldn't know what maps were, or rather what they could contain.

She couldn't believe she had won.

The creature huffed and stretched it's body towards her, lowering its back down towards her. "You have won. A rare occurrence I must say, and right embarrassing too. Climb aboard. I will allow you to ride so you may make up lost time."

Hermione made her way wearily over toward the great beast. She hadn't read a lot about the creature and wondered if it would keep it's word or eat her just for the insult of her winning. But the ride to make up lost time was too tempting to pass up and she didn't want to run the risk of insulting it by turning it down.

She sucked in a breath and drew on all the courage she could muster and pulled herself up behind the human head, being extra careful of the folded wings.

"Please don't fly." She muttered as she leaned into it's neck, trying not to pull on the curly locks. "I'm afraid of heights."

A rumbled laugh escaped it's chest. "I will not, for that would be cheating on your part little human. The Queen leaves me be most of the time, were I to give you a view from above I do not believe she would be happy. No….we must run. Hold on tight." Hermione barely had time to grasp her hair and squeal before the creature took off down the paths, twisting and weaving through the bends with more grace than she could have imagined given its size.

~B~

Bellatrix had watched the whole ordeal from a crystal, safe in her castle. She had been sitting on the edge of her throne the minute the girl had chosen that path. She had silently begged anything and everything for a miracle when the girl encountered one of the most dangerous creatures in her Labyrinth.

It wasn't often people outwitted a Royal Sphynx. And you couldn't outrun or hide from them.

Bellatrix knew if things had gone sour for the human she would have interfered. She could only imagine what kind of repercussions that would have caused. The Sphynx would have had a fit and Hermione would have realized she held more power over Bella than the Queen truly wanted her to know about.

It wasn't against the rules per say for her to act in her Labyrinth. It was her domain and she had formed laws a very long time ago. Laws she had to abide by or chaos would run rampant until she would be forced to destroy the world and start afresh. It wasn't something she had to do very often.

None of her laws forbade her from tampering with a runners run, however. She could hinder or help as she saw fit. In fact a very long time ago she allowed a eight year old boy to run the Labyrinth for his baby sister, who he had so carelessly wished away to her. His run had involved her running beside him disguised as an 'elf' friend, guiding him but also deterring any creature from harming him and making sure he arrived safely and on time to her castle.

She would not be doing the same for Hermione. She wanted Hermione to be safe, and would ensure her safety, but she wouldn't help her win. Instead she was busy figuring out how to bend the rules in the event the girl lost. Make it be so that Hermione stayed and perhaps the little girl went home. Hermione had already made the tempting offer she need only find a way to make it happen.

Granted if Hermione made it through to the end she had no idea what she was going to do. Running the Labyrinth was just a temporary way to keep the girl safe from her enemies. If she won…if she left with her sister….Bella was probably going to be forced into war. She wasn't going to allow anyone or anything harm what was hers.

 **A/N; I can totally see Bella singing that song. Sadly not going to put any singing in the fic. Still working on just a brand for anyone curious….I'm on the last chapter so it's taking a while to get perfect. Wrote a short epilogue for it already though.**


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